1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bowling lane construction, and more particularly to the manufacturing and assembly of prefabricated wooden bowling lane modules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
After about twenty years of use and periodic refinishing of the surface of bowling lanes, a sufficient amount of the hardwood surface of each lane will have been removed that the entire lane must be replaced.
Replacement of a complete bowling lane is a time consuming and costly procedure. The existing lane structure must be removed and a replacement lane must be assembled by hand at the installation site. This replacement operation involves reconstructing the laminated hardwood lane deck by nailing tongue and groove hardwood strips together at eight inch intervals. Literally thousands of nails are used in reconstructing a single lane of a bowling alley. Additionally, a large number of four inch lag bolts must be installed by hand at intervals along the outer edge of each hardwood deck to rigidly secure the deck to the underlying lane support structure. The gutters are secured to the sides of the laminated hardwood deck by a plurality of nails.
Since the entire installation assembly must be completed at the job site and since very few companies specialize in bowling lane replacement work, substantial expenditures are incurred in transporting a twenty man installation crew from the company's home base to the construction site. Additional expenses are incurred as a result of the food and lodging requirements of the work crew. During the lane replacement operation, the bowling alley must be closed and its income generating capacity terminates.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,973 (Grawey) discloses one early attempt to manufacture replacement bowling lane sections at a centrally located manufacturing plant. Grawey teaches the use of prefabricated laminated sections disposed in end to end engagement which include tongue and groove joints between adjacent sections for securing the end of one section to the end of an adjacent section. The Grawey reference teaches the use of side members which require a plurality of lag bolts to secure the side member to the laminated panels and to secure the side member to the bowling alley support structure. The hole drilling and lag bolt installation requires a great deal of manual labor.
The Grawey reference does not disclose how the lamination of the hardwood strips in each lane section is to be accomplished. The laminating process which Grawey indicates is to be used in fabricating his laminated hardwood deck has to this day not been perfected by others. As a result all replacement bowling lanes currently being installed include hardwood decks assembled by hand from hardwood strips which are secured to one another by a plurality of nails.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,983 (De Vore) discloses a method of fabricating a laminated hardwood bowling lane at a replacement site. In De Vore's system a first base panel is secured by a plurality of screws to the existing lane support structure, while a second base member is secured by a plurality of screws to the first base member. As a result of the necessity for two sets of screws to attach the two base sections to the lane support structure, the laminated hardwood deck must be assembled and bonded to the base members at the installation site. Prefabrication is thus rendered impossible. The De Vore reference teaches that the laminated deck formed from a plurality of hardwood strips is secured by glue only to the uppermost base member and to nothing else.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,014,722 (Green) discloses a prefabricated bowling lane structure for outdoor use and includes horizontally disposed laminated sheets. The system utilizes a tongue and groove arrangement to securely couple the ends of adjacent lane sections. A turnbuckle is also provided to maintain two adjacent lane sections in abutting contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,511,696 (Wendt) discloses a hardwood bowling surface formed by placing a plurality of hardwood strips adjacent one another and securing them in place by a plurality of bolts which extend through holes drilled through the sides of the hardwood strips. Properly drilling and aligning the holes in the various hardwood strips is a difficult and time consuming procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,039,580 (Boarders) discloses a replacement for the approach section of a bowling lane. This replacement section is formed from a plurality of hardwood strips having a tongue and groove construction and is held together by a plurality of nails extending from each strip into an adjacent strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,454 (Bailey) discloses a vertically adjustable bowling lane replacement section. This section is formed from a plurality of hardwood strips having a tongue and groove construction which can be repositioned by jack screws. This replacement section is irregular in shape and difficult to install and adjust.
Other prior art of interest is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 490,916 (Montgomery); 2,301,778 (Gremp); 2,686,054 (Coroniti); 3,312,469 (Clayton); 3,223,415 (Stengel); 757,922 (Herbst); 4,036,496 (Robinson); 3,670,049 (Stein); 3,476,387 (Cepluch); 631,090 (Mussey); 563,362 (Dokkenwadel); 471,244 (Montgomery); 2,493,620 (Cusano); 1,961,765 (James); 1,724,841 (Karr); 359,542 (Reisky & Wolff); 2,301,777 (Gremp); 2,209,082 (Debay); 1,581,423 (Blanchard); 2,483,976 (Hughes); 543,141 (Rieper); 1,529,295 (Blanchard); 1,795,624 (Treiber); 2,479,477 (Cusano); 1,967,858 (Borders);